Wheat cleaning and scouring machine.



No. 779,595. PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905. M. A. GRIFFIN. WHEAT CLEANING AND SCOURING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 4, 1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

I WITN s55.-

INVENTOR PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

M. A. GRIFFIN. WHEAT CLEANING AND SGOURING MACHINE.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 4, 1904.

3 SHEETS-411E131 2.

JNVENTOR owne -v Gem 1. ASQM A A PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905. M. AfGRIFFIN. WHEAT CLEANING AND SGOURING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. 1904.

3 SHEETS-$111131 3- llll 4 Attorney Patented January 10, 1905.

UNITED STATES/PATENT Orrics.

MARK A. GRIFFIN, OF SLEEPYEYE, MINNESOTA.

WHEAT CLEANING AND SCOURING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,595, dated January 10, 1905.

Application filed November 4,1904. Serial No. 231,423.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARK A. GRIFFIN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Sleepyeye, in the county of Brown and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wheat Cleaning and Scouring Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. v

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in wheat cleaning and scouring machines; and the object of the invention is to produce an apparatus so constructed as to efficiently free the grain of smut-balls, dust, and other foreign matter and to thoroughly scour and polish the kernels of wheat or other grain.

More specifically, the invention consists in the provision of a rotary cylinder having beater-arms projecting therefrom, as well as flights from the ends of the cylinder, and so arranged as to cause the grain to be cleaned and scoured to be agitated and forced against a perforated casing in which the cylinder rotates, and in the provision of a fan for drawing the foreign matter from the grain as it passes through the apparatus,

My invention consists, further, in various details of construction and in combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, forin a part of this application, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wheat-cleaning apparatus. Fig. 2 is an end elevation. Fig. 3 is a rear side elevation. Fig. 4 is an elevation of one side of the apparatus. Fig. 5 is asectional view transversely through the cylinder and casing. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view through the cylinder and surrounding casing. 'Fig. 7 is a detail view of one end of the cylinder or beating-drum. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the opposite end of said cylinder. Fig. 9 is a detail View of one of the beater-bars upon the circumference of the cylinder or drum, and Fig. 10 is a detail view of a modified form of beater-bar.

Reference now being bad to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a frame, which may be of any suitable construction, and B is a driving-shaft mounted in suitable bearings in said frame and provided at one end with a driving-pulley B and near its other end with a second pulley B which has belted connection B with a pulley B, mounted on the counter-shaft C, journaled in suitable bearings upon the frame. Fixed to rotate with said counter-shaft is a fan D, mounted in a suitable boxing D. The opposite walls of said boxing are provided with apertures d, opening into the chambers E, into which foreign matter is drawn by the suction of the fan through the passage-ways F and W, which communicate with the hopper-chamber H. (Shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.) Mounted upon said shaft B is a cylinder or drum K, having ends K and K and suitablebands 0r hoops L are fastened to the inner circumference of said cylinder or drum, as shown clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings; Fitted to the outer face of the end K of said cylinder are the flights or wings 0, there being four of said flights, as shown clearly in Figs. 5 and 8 of the drawings. Said flights may be of any suitable size and project a slight distance beyond the outer face of said end K and are radially disposed. Said end K has a series of wings or flights, (designated in the drawings by letter 1,) which extend radially from the flange I, forming a part of the head K It will be observed that the end K of the cylinder is concaved on its outer surface, and upon reference to Figs. '7 and 8 of the drawings it will be noted that the cylinder may be held in adjusted positions upon the shaft B by means of the thumb-screws b.

Mounted upon the circumference of the drum or cylinder is a series of lugs Q, which are preferably hollow, and R designates a series of beater-bars, a detail of one of said bars being shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings.

Said bars extend,preferaloly,the length of the cylinder and are provided with a series of apertures to receive bolts or other fastening means whereby said beaters may be securely bolted each to alternate lugs upon the circumference of the cylinder, as shown clearly in Fig. 6 of the drawings. It will be observed upon reference to Fig. 6 of the drawings that the beater-bars It are set at inclinations of radial lines from the axis of the cylinder and project at a slight distance from the lugs or ribs to which they are secured.

R designates bars, a detail of one of said bars being shown in Fig. 10 of the drawings which are fastened to alternate lugs or ribs intermediate those to which the bars R are fastened, and each of the bars R is twisted at E so that the end portions R which are per forated, are at right angles to the shank portion, whereby when the bars R are fastened to the circumference of the cylinder in the manner disclosed in Fig. 6 of the drawings the shank portions thereof will be positioned adjacent to the circumference of the cylinder, with their broad faces substantially at right angles to the broad faces of the bars R.

The circumferential casing about the cylinder is composed of series of perforated plates S, the longitudinal edges of which are held in the series of parallel bars S,which are supported in any suitable manner in the frame of the apparatus. The diameter of the circumferential perforated casing, it will be observed, is somewhat greater than the diameter of the cylinder, and it will be noted that both the cylinder and the circumferential casing are of truncated-cone shape, with the cylinder arranged to have a slight longitudinal movement with the shaft Binstead of the circumferential perforated casing for the purpose of regulating the scouring qualities of the apparatus.

The means for adjusting or actuating the cylinder lengthwise while the latter is in operation comprises a hand-wheel P, which is fixed to a shaft P, mounted in suitable bearings upon the frame of the apparatus, one of said bearings showing clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings and designated by letter P which has an elongated slot to allow the shaft to have a movement therein. A series of rack-bars P is formed upon the upper surface of the cross-beam a of the frame, as shown in Fig 3 of the drawings, and a pinion-wheel N is fixed to the shaft P, and theteeth of said wheel are adapted to mesh with the teeth of said rackbar. A collar M is mounted upon the shaft B and has a bearing engaging the shaft P,

while collars M are fixed one on either ed e I of collar M and adapted to hold the same in place upon the shaft P, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. By this means it will be observed that when the shaft P is rotated by means of the handwheel Pthe pinion-wheel meshing with the teeth upon the rack-bar a will cause the shaft B and the cylinder carried thereby to move longitudinally, which will bring the edges of the beater-bars nearer to or farther away from theinner faces of the perforated places of the surrounding casing and also the wings or flights at the ends of the cylinders nearer to or farther from the ends of the casing for the purpose of regulating the scouring of the grain passing through the apparatus.

A hopper J is provided, into which the grain enters the apparatus through an opening in the side wall of the housing or boxing H, in which opening is mounted a valve J, which is regulated by means of a handle J (Shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.) Slides E are mounted in the lower ends of the chambers E and are provided for the purpose of allowing a draft to be established between the fan-casing and the perforated casing about the cylinder, whereby dust, germs, or other foreign matter from the wheat being treated may be drawn up through the chambers E, which are regulated by the slide E and into the fan casing, from which it may be forced through an exit-aperture in the fan-casing.

Referring to Fig. 4 of the drawings will be seen movable valves J against which the screenings from the wheat fall when drawn into the trunk J by means of the current, the passage of which is indicated by arrows in the drawings.

J 7 designates an angular partition mounted between the trunk J about which the current of air passes before coming in contact with the damper J which causes the air to be deflected in its course before entering the passage-way J Said valves J are positioned over openings in the wallof the depending portion of the trunk J G and through which the screenings make exit from said trunk.

Hoppers V are provided near the lower end of the casing and through which any foreign matter which passes through the perforations of the casing may make exit, and said hoppers provide means whereby air may enter and pass through the perforated casing to take up dust or other light foreign matters which may be drawn by the draft through the fan-casing. It will be observed upon reference to Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings that curved slots G are formed in the ends of the casing through which air is also allowed to pass into the apparatus to feed the fan and by which the dust, smut, or other foreign matter may be taken from the grain.

In order to hold the wheel N stationary when not in use, a dog N is provided which is pivotally mounted upon the frame, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and which may be thrown out of engagement with the pinionwheel when it is desired to allow the latter to rotate.

In operation the grain placed in the hopper J falls by gravity against the valves J, and

as it falls by gravity from the lower edge of the hopper it is met by an inrushing current of air which has the tendency to withdraw dust from the grain and carry it in the course indicated by arrows into the fan-casing, from which it is driven out through the apertures in the top of the fan-casing. The screenings from the wheat are carried by the current into the depending portion of the trunk J and from which they make exit through the openingsin the side wall thereof. The wheat enteringthe perforated cylinder is distributed by the flights upon the rotatable cylinder upon the casing and also by the circumferential ribs upon the beating-cylinder, which will cause the grain to be thrown violently against the perforated plates of the casing about the cylinder, and as the diameter of the latter increases toward the rear end of the cylinder the cleaned wheat will make exit through the inclined chute into the exit passage-way Y, and as it makes exit it is met with an inrushing current, (indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5,) which will have a tendency to free the wheat of any dust or smut which may still adhere to the wheat after passing the beating-cylinder, said foreign matter being taken to the fan-casing, as indicated by the arrows. During the action of the beater-drum upon the wheat it will be observed that a current of air is drawn through the casing and through the valve-regulated passage-way leading to the chambers E, one on either side of the fan-casing, with which they communicate.

By the provision of the apparatus embodying the features of my invention it will be observed that the cylinder may be adjusted to scour or polish the grain more or less as it may require and the adjustment accomplished while the machine is running. The apparatus may be driven from either end, and by the provision of the construction shown the ad justable slides in the bottoms of the boxes communicating with the fan-casing may be adjusted, giving a free and strong circulation of air all around the scouring-case, thus removing and discharging dust, smut, &c., from the grain.

IVhile I have shown a particular form of apparatus illustrating my wheat-cleaning machine, it will be understood that I may vary the mechanical details of construction, if desired, without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A grain-scouring apparatus comprising a frame, a fan and box therefor, a longitudinally movable and rotatable shaft mounted in suitable bearings in said frame, a tapering drum fixed to said shaft and provided with beater-bars upon the circumference thereof, flights at the ends of said drum, a tapering casing having a circumferential wall which is perforated and within which casing said drum is mounted, a feeding-hopper, a valve-regulated passage-way between the same and the interior of said casing, and valve-regulated passage-ways between the casing and fan-box, a series of rack-teeth, a second shaft, bearings in which said second shaft is mounted and supported and movable with said longitudinally-movable shaft, and a pinion upon said second shaft meshing with said rack-teeth, as set forth.

2. A grain-scouring apparatus comprising a frame, a longitudinally movable and rotatable shaft mounted in suitable bearings therein, a fan and box therefor, a casing having acircumferential perforated wall, a hopper, a valveregulated passage-way leading therefrom to the interior of said casing, a drum fixed to said shaft, a series of beater-bars about the circumference thereof arranged alternately at right angles to each other, series of radially-disposed flights at the ends of said cylinder, valve-regulated passage-ways leading from said fan-box to said casing, an exit and an exit-d not from the casing, as set forth.

3. A grain scouring and cleaning apparatus comprising a frame, a fan and box therefor, a casing having a circumferential wall made up of perforated plates set at angles to one another and slightly inclined, a longitudinally movable and rotatable shaft mounted in suitable bearings in the frame of the machine, a

drum fixed to said shaft, a series of lugs upon the circumference of said drum, beater-bars secured to said lugs and disposed alternately at substantially right angles to each other, flights at the ends of said drum, and means for imparting a longitudinal movement to said shaft, as set forth.

4. A grain scouring and cleaning apparatus comprising a frame, a fan and box therefor, a casing having a circumferential wall made up of perforated plates set at angles to one another and slightly inclined, a longitudinally movable and rotatable shaft mounted in suitable bearings in the frame of the machine, a drum fixed to said shaft, a series of lugs upon the circumference of said drum, beater-bars secured to said lugs and disposed alternately at substantially right angles to each other, flights at the ends of said drum, a hopper for feeding grain to the apparatus, a valve at the exit end of the hopper, a trunk in which said hopper enters, an angled partition in said trunk, and valves in the depending portion of said trunk, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARK A. GRIFFIN.

l/Vitnesses:

GEO. N. HANsoN, J. G. DAVIS. 

